When a woman’s elderly mother began to make constant anxious phone calls, she decided to leave her some “words of reassurance”.
Writing on a whiteboard left in the living room, the woman’s note made a world of difference for her mother who has dementia.
“Your meals are paid for. You’re okay. Everyone’s fine,” the note read.
“You are not moving. No one else is moving,” the note continued.
“Keep drinking, it will help your memory. You don’t owe anyone any money. You haven’t upset anyone.”
The whiteboard note, which was shared on Reddit yesterday, has since gone viral.
"A simple white board left in her sight line in her sitting room helped to reduce constant anxious phone calls," the post read.
The post, which has been up-voted over 110,000 times has sparked an important conversation about supporting people with dementia.
One health worker commented that the reassurance demonstrated in the woman's note is "hugely beneficial" to dementia patients.
"I used to work as a nurse in a nursing home. I couldn't count the times that an elderly resident would refuse to eat, and when questioned would admit they had no money to pay," they wrote.
"I encourage people to do this exact thing, with a family member writing whose handwriting would hopefully be recognised," another wrote. "It helps tremendously."
Watch: "Don't you recognise me?" A mother and son's journey with dementia. Post continues below...
In the thread, caregivers and family members also shared the ways they have helped care for family members and friends living with the condition.
"I started bring [my Dad] a treat, a particular chocolate bar that I knew he liked, and that made a huge difference," one person wrote. "He'd wake up confused and then he'd see the chocolate and know that I'd left it for him."
"One of the best things we did for my Grandma was buy her an Amazon Echo with a Spotify subscription. She can listen to her music whenever she wants, and ask it 'what day it is' as many times as she wants," another person commented.
Another person recommended supplying a doll to care for and playing music.
In 2018, Dementia Australia estimated that there are 436,366 Australians living with dementia.
Top Comments
My nanna had Alzheimer’s. Regardless of writing things down in her line of sight largely, she forgot to read them. It’s important to understand that while this works for this lady, it may not work for all.
The Echo for Grandma to ask questions is a pretty great idea.